Academy’s Villain Professor

Chapter 46: Cleanup (2)

The lecture hall was packed with students, a situation absurd enough on its own, but the gazes and atmosphere directed at me were so unfamiliar they felt downright eerie.

Their eyes were filled with admiration, respect, and anticipation—emotions utterly alien to a former villain like me.

After a moment of thought, I asked?

“What’s all this?”

“Auditing,” one student answered.

As if I’d asked because I didn’t know.

Sensing the reproach in my glare, the student shrank back.

Sighing, I leaned one arm on the podium.

“For sheer audacity, you’re closer to robbers than thieves.”

What the hell happened while I was being grilled by the association?

After a brief pause, I looked at the original students.

“Anyone who can clearly explain why this is happening in five minutes, raise your hand.”

A student with twin braids raised her hand.

She was one of the three always hanging around Da-yeon.

“There’s still time, so we’ll start the lecture shortly.”

With that, I gestured for her to follow me into the hallway, where I heard the full story.

But her information was limited, so I ended up calling the dean.

Before the call even connected, his voice came through the phone.

[What’s the matter?]

“So that’s why you had that look back then. You knew, didn’t you? Why’s my lecture hall overflowing with students?”

[Heh, I wasn’t sure at the time.]

“Just explain.”

While I was stuck repeating pointless statements in the association’s interrogation room, the academy was abuzz over the MT incident.

A villain attack—unprecedented for an academy event—had struck the class I taught, right after we left campus.

And this time, a professor nearly died.

Even if the investigation cleared me, suspicion was inevitable.

So, some professors pushed to oust me.

Normally, the dean and Se-ah would’ve quashed such proposals, but the dean was busy with the media, and Se-ah was hospitalized post-surgery, unable to intervene.

By the time they caught wind of it, my expulsion had become the prevailing opinion among the faculty.

Even they couldn’t completely suppress the faculty’s sentiment.

To counter it, Se-ah created new public opinion—targeting the students.

She posted an official thank-you statement on the academy’s community board, accessible to students.

It detailed how a reformed ex-villain professor fought fiercely to protect students from villains, ensuring her and their safety, and expressed sincere gratitude for my efforts.

She also praised my teaching and philosophy as essential to the academy, calling me a passionate educator.

Posted not just as a professor but as the union chair, it carried weight.

As if on cue, the dean posted a similar notice.

The impact was massive.

The students went wild.

Rumors of a villain-turned-professor had circulated vaguely, but with my low rank and single course, I’d been largely ignored.

Now, with the manipulation department head and the dean both vouching for me, not just second-years but first- and third-years took notice.

I became the academy’s hottest topic.

As a result, the faculty quieted down and stepped back.

With all eyes on me, no professor was bold enough to openly push for my expulsion.

Hearing the explanation, I blinked slowly, dumbfounded.

[That’s how it went. Neither I nor Professor Jeong Se-ah expected students to flood your lecture like this.]

“Sure, whatever. I get it.”

I hung up and looked at the student.

“Guess I’m a celebrity now. Not exactly thrilled.”

The twin-braided student, having heard the full story, scratched her head with an awkward smile.

“Our petition ended up being useless, huh?”

I raised an eyebrow, surprised.

“You wrote a petition too?”

“Yeah. We heard you might get fired, so we couldn’t just sit still.”

“First week, you were all itching to get me kicked out.”

She gave an embarrassed smile.

“Haha…”

“Still, tell the students who wrote the petition I’m grateful.”

Should she mention all 43 signed it?

After a moment’s hesitation, she nodded.

Returning to the lecture hall, I placed both hands on the podium.

The expectant gazes hadn’t dimmed.

Most were students currently or previously taught by Se-ah.

They must’ve wondered how great a lecture she’d praised so highly could be.

Unlike their anticipation, I felt a bitter pang.

What am I supposed to teach these non-augmentation kids?

* * *

With a whoosh, the lights flicked on.

In a spacious hall, luxurious furniture was accented by classical music from a gramophone, enhancing the ambiance.

At the center stood a round table with five chairs.

Four men, varying in age but exuding an unmistakable aura of power, occupied four seats.

Since arriving, they hadn’t spoken a word.

Then, a door on one side opened.

All eyes turned to it.

A woman with red hair tied neatly down her back entered.

Her attire was pristine, without a wrinkle or speck of dust.

Barely an adult, her ornate outfit couldn’t hide her youthful air.

With hands clasped demurely in front, she scanned the room.

Her tightly closed red lips parted slowly.

“Greetings.”

Her gait, voice, and every action carried a dignity and grace beyond her years.

Though the youngest present, none could dismiss her.

She was the one who’d summoned them.

“Greetings, huh?”

A middle-aged man at the table chuckled derisively.

“Something a kidnapper would say?”

“Kidnapper? I treated you with courtesy, didn’t I?”

Smiling faintly, she took the empty seat.

“There’s a villain’s way of doing things.”

As she said, the four men at the table were all villains, herself included.

“Quite the lineup,” an old man with a long white beard clicked his tongue.

“Long time no see, but not exactly missed.”

Excluding the kidnapper who’d arranged this, they were all acquainted.

Their silence wasn’t due to unfamiliarity but because they’d never been close, merely knowing each other’s faces.

“Vulture, Greed, Breaker, Assassin. Ten years ago, they were among this country’s top villains, all part of one organization.”

“Even a runt knows that? The government and association worked hard to erase that info,”

Vulture, the middle-aged man, narrowed his eyes.

“Some nobodies were using the organization’s symbol again. Looks like the rumors were true.”

“You saw correctly.”

She pulled a flower from her pocket and placed it on the table.

“I’m the second generation, inheriting that organization.”

The old man burst out laughing.

“Ridiculous. An organization isn’t something a kid like you can mimic just because you heard rumors. Don’t tell me you gathered us, former executives, to join you?”

“Something like that.”

All four smirked—mocking, derisive sneers.

They hadn’t followed me simply because I was the strongest.

I was a perfect predator.

Beyond mere strength, they were captivated by it, following me to the end.

To villains, I was like a light.

That’s why, after my capture, they hadn’t continued the organization or resumed villainy.

Blinded by that light, they felt no motivation without it.

Despite their mockery, the boss remained calm.

“But you don’t need to serve me. Your days as S-rank villains are a decade past. Out of practice, wasting time, and outdated, even together you’d barely match one S-rank now. I’ve no use for such men.”

The assassin, who’d listened silently with closed eyes, opened them.

“You think we’ll obey after hearing that?”

“Of course.”

She nodded firmly. Her confident declaration left the four villains speechless.

The assassin clicked his tongue, frowning.

“You’re stronger than us, sure. But true villains don’t bow to mere threats on their lives.”

“Threaten with just your lives? Don’t you have something more precious than family or life?”

She pulled a small bundle from her pocket, untying its string and dipping her fingers inside.

Her hand emerged holding colorful beads.

“These are traits.”

Clatter—

The beads spilled onto the table, rolling across it.

“Your traits, to be exact.”

The four villains flinched.

“My trait. I can steal others’ traits, manifest them as beads, and, with certain conditions, transfer them to others.”

Breaker clenched and unclenched his fists.

“…Thought it was just drugs or a suppressor.”

They’d assumed their traits were suppressed by some technique during their abduction and unconsciousness.

Who could’ve imagined they’d been stolen?

“Well, it’s an impressive trait. Feel free to be jealous.”

Her flippancy left them stunned.

It was indeed a cheat-like trait.

But their shock wasn’t just its power.

Anomaly, emission, manipulation.

A trait requiring extreme mastery of different types.

Could any awakened being wield it so effortlessly, even with the same trait? No, most couldn’t mimic it in a lifetime.

That a barely adult woman handled it so casually was beyond strength—it was an eerie sensation, like facing a being of another order.

The same feeling they’d had facing me years ago.

“Finally understand? If you’re fine living without your traits…”

She pointed to the hall’s door.

“Leave. I won’t stop you. What use are ordinary people like you?”

No one moved.

Losing their traits was worse than lifelong disability.

Ordinary villains would’ve begged on their knees.

But these men saw beyond that.

The loss wasn’t the end—it was what came after.

“You know how to wound pride. If we don’t obey, you’ll…”

Placing her index finger on her cheek, she smiled.

“Well, they’d be useful somewhere, right? Like giving them to loyal subordinates?”

The worst outcome.

Even as villains, they had convictions and pride dearer than life.

Seeing their hard-earned traits wielded by some nobody would be like spitting on that pride and conviction.

Sighing, Breaker asked?

“…What do we do to get our traits back?”

“Finally, we’re talking.”

She removed her finger from her cheek.

“I’m hitting the four major hero factions simultaneously: the association headquarters, Underground Zero, S-rank heroes, and Clington Academy.”

“Your organization has that kind of power?”

Even the original organization I led couldn’t manage that.

She shook her head.

“Not quite. There’s a limit to growing without catching the association or heroes' eyes. The organization will hit the association headquarters and Underground Zero. Other groups I’ve roped in will handle the S-rank heroes.”

Her preparations were meticulous.

She’d targeted S-rank heroes’ children and Clington repeatedly to draw the association’s attention there.

Though the primary goal failed, it loosened oversight on old-generation villains, allowing her to gather them.

She’d also planted the assumption that their targets were just S-rank heroes or Clington.

With multiple goals, the goalkeeper can’t predict the ball’s path.

Attacking four places at once would obscure their true objective.

“You’ll hit Clington as one front.”

“Just the four of us?”

In their prime, maybe, but their current strength was lacking.

“Of course, I can supply plenty of fodder to buy time. Plus…”

She pulled new beads from her pocket, placing them on the table.

Unlike the four beads holding their traits, these radiated intense power.

Some glowed like they contained the sun; others held darkness like a black hole.

“If you gain power beyond your prime, those fake heroes loafing at Clington will be easy prey, right?”

They stared silently at the beads, sensing their overwhelming strength compared to their own.

Greed, gazing at them, asked the boss,

“When’s the job?”

High-ranking members knew the organization’s inner workings and were detained by the association.

They didn’t know her ultimate goal, but vaguely suspected the plan to hit the four factions.

If that leaked, and the factions coordinated closely, it’d be trouble.

So, now, when everyone thought it was over, was the perfect time.

“Four days from now. Everything will burn, and from the ashes, we’ll declare our arrival.”

She stood.

“Wait here. I’ll send someone to guide you to your quarters.”

She didn’t doubt they’d comply.

When she showed the second set of beads, she’d seen the greed in their eyes.

Pride and conviction aside, they were just trashy villains.

She despised fake heroes, but villains even more.

They were mere tools for her goal.

As she turned to leave, someone asked,

“What… Do you wan’t?”

She turned back, as if waiting for the question, and smiled—a genuine smile, unlike her earlier pretense.

“Chaos and disorder. And a new king.”

With that, she vanished through the door.